Simon & Simon
by Sandoz
Summary: You know, I've saved lives. Dozens. Maybe hundreds. I reattached a girl's leg. Her whole leg. She named her hamster after me.' Simon the doctor meets Simon the hamster.


Simon & Simon  
By Sandoz  
Summary: "You know, I've saved lives. Dozens. Maybe hundreds. I re-attached a girl's leg. Her whole leg. She named her hamster after me." Simon the doctor meets Simon the hamster.  
Rating: G  
Written for: 100moods  
Prompt: 096: Touched  
Disclaimer: _Firefly_ and its characters are the property of Joss Whedon.  
Author's Note: Thanks to Requiemk626 for being my beta reader.

A small, dark shape ran past Simon's foot.

"Hmm?" he murmured, turning his head as he pulled on his jacket. He saw the same brown blur dash under his desk.

_A mouse?_ Simon thought. It was extremely unlikely. This hospital was, after all, one of the jewels in the crown of Capital City, renowned for the quality of its facilities. Vermin was unheard of.

Crouching down, Simon peered under his desk. Huddling beside one of the metal legs was not a mouse, but a small spotted hamster.

Simon's eyes went wide. Reaching out, he gently picked up the trembling animal and held it close to his chest.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," Simon whispered, using the same tone of voice that had calmed many of his patients.

_What is a_ hamster _doing here?_ he wondered. It must be someone's pet, but…

At that moment Simon heard his name being called outside his door. Not knowing what else to do with the hamster, he kept holding it as he exited his office. In his distracted state he did not notice how odd it was that someone had called him "Simon" instead of "Dr. Tam".

The voice in question belonged to a young girl at the far end of the white corridor. Her auburn hair tied with ribbons, she walked with a cane and a noticeable limp. "Simon!" she called.

Looking the girl over, Simon experienced a flash of recognition. In his time as a surgeon, he had operated on dozens of patients. Over the months most of their faces had merged into an indistinct, fuzzy blur, but this particular girl stood out in his memory as one of his greatest accomplishments.

Her name was Winifred Huxley, and she was the only child of one of Capital City's most important bankers. The girl had been injured in a shuttle crash, with her left leg severed above the knee. After fourteen intense hours of surgery, Simon had reattached that very same leg. He remembered her parents' pale faces and their cries of relief once he told them the operation was a success. He also recalled his formal introduction to Winifred at her hospital bed and how she, after being told that he was "the doctor," replied "But I thought all doctors were old!" in a burst of youthful enthusiasm.

"Hello? Miss Huxley?" Simon asked, approaching her.

Her mouth forming a wide O, Winifred cried, "Simon!" and reached towards him.

Taken aback, Simon began to speak, but paused when he realized the girl was reaching for the squirming hamster in his hands, not him.

Catching herself, Winifred held the edges of her skirt and curtseyed as best she could with her cane. "Um, I mean, hello Dr. Tam."

"Is he yours?" he asked, indicating the hamster.

Winifred nodded, her cheeks blushing a bright pink. "He's my pet. Simon. I named him after you."

Simon's brow lifted in surprise. Heat rose to his cheeks. "Oh…thank you." He raised the hamster near his face and studied him. "Well, there is a certain resemblance."

Winifred giggled. Simon smiled. There was something pleasantly familiar about the curl of her lips.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine I guess," she replied with a pout. "I had to come for a checkup and it was really boring, but I wanted to bring Simon so you could say hello to him."

"You know, hospitals aren't very safe places for hamsters."

"I know," she admitted, "but he's my friend."

Simon stroked the animal softly. Surprisingly, the conversation with Winifred Huxley was making him feel nostalgic. "You're lucky to have him. When I was a boy, my sister asked for a cat, but our father said it would ruin the furniture."

"Ooooh." Winifred's face brightened. "You have a sister?"

Simon nodded. "River. She's away at school right now. I haven't seen her for a long time." His voice trailed off. "You remind me of her, just a little."

Winifred seemed impressed. "If _my_ Simon had a sister, I'd name her River too. But he's an only child, like me."

"Well," Simon said, "you have each other."

"Uh-huh!" Balancing on her cane, Winifred held out her free hand. Simon carefully passed her his namesake.

As if perfectly timed, a white-robed nurse turned the corner, calling "Winnie!"

Winifred stuck out her tongue, another gesture Simon remembered all too well. He smiled reflexively.

The nurse strode down the hall, her heels _clicking_ audibly on the linoleum floor. "You're not supposed to be here, Winnie," she said before adding, "Hello, Dr. Tam."

"Take care of Simon," the doctor said, mindful of the nurse's perplexed stare.

"I will!" Winifred said. "Say hello to River for me!"

"Mmmhmm." Simon waved as Winifred and Simon II disappeared down the hall. There was a warm, pleasant feeling in his stomach.

"Say hello to River for me!" she had said.

"River…" he whispered, exhaling, suddenly missing her very much. _Siblings._ _Simon…and River._

"I'm such a boob," he sighed, turning back and vanishing into his office.


End file.
